Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
International films leave an indelible presence by winning prestigious honours including the Golden Peacock Award in IFFI 52
148 international films from 73 countries screened at IFFI 52
Panaji, 28 November 2021
Presenting movie buffs with a variety of flavours from across the world, giving a glimpse to diverse cultures and traditions, the 52nd International Film Festival of India, held in Goa in a hybrid format from November 20 -28 screened a bouquet of international films drawn from 73 countries at the festival. As many as 148 films were presented to film lovers in the International Section that included World Premiere of 12 films, 7 International Premiere and 24 Asia Premiere.
True to their spirit, in the 52nd IFFI foreign films are leaving an indelible presence by winning prestigious honours as majority of the awards which were announced here today under various sections, are won by foreign films. This include the prestigious Golden and Silver Peacock Awards, BRICS Film Festival Awards and ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Award.
Japanese Film ‘Ring Wandering’ directed by Masakazu Kaneko has been adjudged as the Best Film at IFFI 52, and has been presented with the prestigious Golden Peacock Award at the 52nd edition of IFFI.
Expressing their commendation for the film, the International Competition Jury of the festival has described the 2021 film Ringu Wandaringu as a beautifully photographed combination of fantasy and manga-inspired reality, reflecting a fascination with the echoes of the past reverberating in present-day Japanese society
The Silver Peacock for the Best Director has been presented to Czech Director Václav Kadrnka’s Saving One Who Is Dead, a Czech film which holds out a candle of hope even amidst the winter of hopelessness. The jury has praised the film to be a very masterful and confidently envisioned visual tale of a mother and son caught in a twilight which conjures imaginations of life and death, where each portrait-style frame is composed and performed with telling details.
Silver Peacock for Best Actor  goes to Spanish Actor Angela Molina for her role as Charlotte in the film Charlotte, a captivating performance which elicits sympathy and frustration in equal measure. In its citation, the jury observes that Angela Molina is playing a character who as an aged Diva, is both manipulative and insecure. “She gives a performance that elicits sympathy and frustration in equal measure and has a beguiling on-camera presence that captivated all of the jurors.” Charlotte is directed by Simon Franco from Paraguay. The movie is a visual treat to cine lovers, which captures the rich landscapes of Argentina and Paraguay.
Actress Renata Carvalho has won the special jury award for best actress for the movie The First fallen by Brazilian Film maker Rodrigo de Oliveira which traces the undocumented history of the LGBTQ community and their fight against AIDS epidemic of 80’s in Brazil. The First Fallen is Director Rodrigo de Oliveira’s passionate and courageous attempt to chronicle the untold stories of suffering and discrimination suffered by the sexual minorities in 1980s.
Russian film The DORM / Obschaga by Director Roman Vasyanov, has received a Special Mention from the International Competition Jury. The jury finds The Dorm, set in the erstwhile USSR of 1984, to have been well-narrated, depicting the complicated and corrupted society through the eyes of a few young people living in a university complex.
Director Mari Alessandrini’s Zahorí, the story of an intrepid young girl who revolts against school and parents in order to realize her dream of independence, has bagged the IFFI 52 Award for Best Debut Feature Film of a Director
Spanish film The Wealth of the World / La Riqueza del Mundo by debut director and actor Simon Farriol has received Special Mention from the Jury in the Debut Feature Film Competition Category.
In the International competition section, among the 15 films which were lined up for the coveted Golden Peacock and other awards, 12 were foreign films.
Sixth edition BRICS Film Festival awards announced at closing ceremony of IFFI 52.
South African Film Barakat by Director Amy Jephta and Russian Film The Sun above Me Never Sets by Director Lyubov Borisova has shared the Best film Award in the Festival. For the first time the BRICS Film Festival was held alongside the 52nd International Film Festival of India in Goa during November 20-28, 2021.
The awards were given to these films for their brilliant cinematic portrayal of human emotions and magnificent storytelling on screen.
The Best film, Barakat, South Africa’s official submission for Best International Feature at the 94th Academy Awards of 2022, is a dramatic comedy about an aging matriarch who aims to bring together her fractured dysfunctional family, over the Eid festival, to break the news about her new romance. The film has won many awards in various international film festivals.
The other Best Film Award winner The Sun above Me Never Sets narrates the story of a young man who tries to reinvigorate the zeal to live life in an old man so that he can see his lost daughter. The film which is a comedy drama is an inspiring work of fiction from Russia directed by Lyubov Borisova.
The Best Director award was won by Brazilian Filmmaker Lucia Murat for her documentary film Ana. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Murat is a strong voice arising from Brazil's new cinematic landscape. Her film Ana speaks about strong and brave women who fight odd battles and goes beyond the lines drawn by society to find their identities.
Brazilian actress Lara Boldorini was honored with the Best Actor  Award for her film On Wheels, a rousing on-road tale of a search for a father-figure.
In addition, a Jury Special Mention Award was presented to the Director Yan Han for his film A Little Red Flower from China. The film portrays a realistic romantic story of an ordinary person who chooses love and kindness in the face of death.
This year, IFFI has brought together five major emerging economies and leading film production countries of the world. The Jury for this competitive festival comprised 5 members, one from each BRICS country.
The five countries viz. Brazil, Russia, South Africa, China and India were also the Focus Countries of the 52nd IFFI and a total of eight films were screened under this section. The Country of Focus is a special segment that recognizes the cinematic excellence and contributions of the country. A total of 8 films were screened under this section.
Lingui, The Sacred Bonds - an internationally co-produced drama film recounting the story of the sacred relationship between a mother and daughter and their survival against the harsh laws set by men – won the ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Award at IFFI 52. The film is a bold portrayal of female struggle and a lesson in humanity. The film was co-produced by Belgium France Germany and was made in Arabic and French. The ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Award is being given to a film that best reflects Mahatma Gandhi's ideals of peace, tolerance and non-violence.
The international films left their ineffaceable artistic and creative presence as the Opening, Mid and Closing Films of 52nd IFFI too.
The King of all the World’  directed by Carlos Saura which was the opening film at the festival also had its international premiere at IFFI 52. The film, written and directed by Carlos Saura, is the last of the musical trilogy which plays heir to his own movies Carmen  and Tango . The movie is the seventh collaboration between octogenarian film stalwarts of world cinema, Oscar nominee Carlos Saura and the Academy Award and IFFI 51 Lifetime Achievement Award winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro.
The Power of the Dog directed by Jane Campion and winner of Best Director at Venice Film Festival and Variety Artisan Award at Toronto International Film Festival, was the Mid Fest Film in the festival. IFFI 52 came to a close with the screening of Cannes Grand Prix Award winning film of Asghar Farhadi’s A Hero.
As the saying goes, art has no boundaries. Over the years IFFI had been standing firm on this by choosing some of the finest creations from around the world around and recognising them for their immense contribution to the world cinema.